


Wordless Confession

by wolfzaa



Series: Barlyle Prompts & Ficlets [8]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Canon Divergence, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 06:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13653117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfzaa/pseuds/wolfzaa
Summary: Phineas expected for the worst when he came back.(A Tumblr prompt: "Do you even care anymore?  About me?" + "Welcome back. Now fucking help me.")





	Wordless Confession

**Author's Note:**

> **Reminder:** Every Barlyle fic I write will be a canon divergence where Charity has already passed away because I love her too much to let P.T. cheat on her.
> 
> From [this prompts list](http://wholegrainrolls.tumblr.com/post/169596549973/100-prompts) as usual.
> 
>  **Prompts:** 92\. Do you even care anymore? About me? + 61. Welcome back. Now fucking help me.

 

Phineas expected for the worst when he came back.

Really, he deserved nothing less.  He would perfectly understand for every accusing glance and disappoint expression he might receive from his performers, his _family._   He needed them to treat him just that and they gladly did without hesitation.  They had wanted to lash out on him for quite some time then they were all good.  Phineas loved them for that: for keeping things simple and straightforward and impossibly _pure_.

Anne slapped him in the face the first time he visited Phillip at the hospital.  Then she hugged him fiercely; her shoulders trembled with fright and hundreds of emotions she had kept for so long since the fire.  Phineas kissed her forehead and murmured, “He’ll be fine,” and “I’m sorry,” and "It’s okay.  We’re all going to be just fine,” hoping she would believe him eventually.

She did.

Phineas also expected Phillip to be mad at him.  He truly did.  He still remembered how Phillip had looked at him before he went on the tour; pleading and begging him not to go, asking him both directly and silently to think twice, baring his heart right in front of Phineas as though he had nothing left to lose, screaming wordlessly: _“Please don’t go,”_ and _“Where do you think you’re going?”_ and _“Do you even care anymore?  About me?  About us?”_   Phillip had never done that to anyone; he was too prideful.  Phineas didn’t know how he could ignore the younger man at that time -- how he could be so cold.

Blinded -- that he was.

He didn’t expect to find Phillip among the rubble they once called home -- somewhere Phineas still wanted to call it home.  They hadn’t talked yet since Phineas was too busy trying to making it all up to the crew.  By the time he came to visit, Phillip was already fall asleep.  So he watched in peaceful silence and needed nothing more than to see the light flickering within those eyes once again.

Now that he had the chance, Phineas didn’t know what to do but drowned in those perfect blues, and waited for his anger to erupt.

Phillip noticed him and simply said, “Oh, welcome back.  Now fucking help me.”

Of all things he could say, Phineas didn’t expect _that._

He arched his eyebrow, taken aback. “Excuse me?”

Phillip stared right back at him.

“Make yourself useful and help me lift this up, will you?”

Phineas complied. “What are you finding?”

“Something -- anything, really -- I just---” he paused. “I just want to look around and--- I don’t know, maybe---”

“Phillip---”

“Don’t,” the younger man cut in, his voice broken. “I don’t want to hear it.”

So Phineas didn’t say it.

Instead, he whispered, “Let’s go home.”

Phillip turned around to face him; eyes quivering, the blues shaking, crumbling, _falling---_

Phineas caught his shoulder, tracing fingers up his neck until he has the back of Phillip’s nape secure in his hand.

“Thank you.”

Phillip didn’t want to hear it, so Phineas didn’t say what for.

Phillip understood.

 


End file.
